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Folding@home uses your spare CPU cycles to solve complex scientific problems. Its results could lead to cures for deadly and debilitating illnesses. You can help this project by downloading and running the Folding@Home client software. Here's how! I'll keep this thread updated with useful information about the current state of the Folding@home project.

GPU Version:Folding@home's calculations can be accelerated by most modern graphics cards. The GPU client is currently the best and fastest way to complete work units and earn points, so if your system meets the requirements it's definitely worth checking out. You'll need an ATI Radeon 2xxx or nVidia Geforce 8xxx class card or better. Radeon owners can use any Catalyst drivers since v8.1 (download: XP / XP 64-bit / Vista / Vista 64-bit / 7 / 7 64-bit). If you have a Geforce, you will need the CUDA enabled display drivers v174.55 or later (download: XP / XP 64-bit / Vista & 7 / Vista & 7 64-bit). If you don't already have them you will also need DirectX 9.0c or later and the .NET Runtime v2.0 (32bit / 64bit). Once you have installed the prerequisite software, it should be a simple matter to download and install the latest GPU client. You may also wish to check out the GPU FAQ for ATI or nVidia, and support is available through the ATI and nVidia folding forums. Note that you can (and should!) run the CPU client at the same time, as long as you give it 'idle' priority and give the GPU client 'low' priority under their respective settings. Then just sit back and watch the points roll in!

PS3 Version:Since firmware version 1.6, the Sony Playstation 3 can run the Folding@home client. The PS3 is very fast at performing the types of calculations used by Folding@home, so if you have an internet-enabled PS3 you can make a big contribution and earn lots of points by putting it to work. To get started, select 'Life with PlayStation' from the 'Network' tab to download the application. It requires 500MB of hard drive space to install. Once it's running, press Triangle > Identity > Join Existing Team > 12679. The PS3 (like most any computer) can safely fold 24/7.

SMP Version:Folding@home has SMP support for people with multicore or multiprocessor systems. This functionality is included in the default Linux and OSX clients, and a separate SMP-enabled Windows client is available. It is slightly more complicated to set up, but SMP work units give extra points to make it worth your while. You shouldn't have any problems if you follow the instructions on the download page. If you have a dual or especially a quad core processor, it is recommended that you run the SMP client to earn the most possible points.

Frequently Asked Questions:How do I get one of those colored helixes under my name?After you have completed at least one work unit for team Shroomery, go to your basic preferences and scroll down about half way. Fill in the 'Folding@home Username' field.

What's the deal with the different colors and lengths?The longer the helix is, the more of a contribution you've made to the team total (it's logarithmic). The color goes from grey through red and green depending on how many points you've received in the past week.

I already have Folding@home points with another team, can I transfer them?Unfortunately no, but don't let that stop you from switching to 12679 anyway.

When I check my stats online it says I haven't submitted any results recently, what's wrong?To find out, go to the directory where you installed Folding@home and look for a FAHLog.txt file. Open this in any text editor and scroll to the bottom to see the most recent output. The most common errors you are likely to see:

"[08:57:39] - Error: Could not transmit unit 01 (completed some date) to work server."Make sure Folding@home's "Use IE Settings" option is set to no - your client.cfg file should contain the line 'usereg=no'. Make sure you're connected to the internet and Folding@home isn't blocked by your firewall. Check http://folding.typepad.com/ to see if there's an outage. As a last resort stop the Folding@home client, delete "queue.dat" and the "work" subdirectory, and restart Folding@home.

"[03:15:22] - Error: Attempt #1 to get work failed, and no other work to do."Make sure Folding@home's "Use IE Settings" option is set to no - your client.cfg file should contain the line 'usereg=no'. Make sure you're connected to the internet and Folding@home isn't blocked by your firewall. Check http://folding.typepad.com/ to see if there's an outage.

"[02:41:58] - A potential conflict was detected: Process 1392 is currently running and may also be a client with Mach. ID 1."You have multiple installations of the Folding@home client, make sure that's on purpose. Verify in the client.cfg files that they have different machine IDs. Restart the stopped client.

Little Known Fact:By default, the Folding@home client takes a conservative approach to system stability. Any time it terminates abnormally, it assumes it caused the crash and disables SSE and 3DNow instructions on the next run. This can be useful if you have a faulty or overclocked processor. However, there are many other reasons your computer might crash or restart unexpectedly. If you know your hardware is stable you can run Folding@home with the -forceasm flag to disable this behavior.

Feel free to post any questions, comments or accomplishments in this thread!

Any ideas of what doesnt work? The graphics client is more CPU intensive, and requires some 3d rendering. Maybe download the console version for windows, and run that. Download it, move it to a good directory, and run it where you ultimately want it to be. It will create the files it needs in that directory, so be sure not to run it from your desktop.

Just enter your name, team id, and then if you want check off "run as service" and it will always run in the background without you having to do anything when you reboot.

--------------------The DJ's took pills to stay awake and play for seven days.

--------------------None of the posts that are posted by this user are real. They are all fake and are for fictional use only. This member does not actually smoke or take any illegal substances, he/she just posts for fun.

Every work unit helps . Hell I even have my Xbox folding, that's a 733MHz Celeron and it takes a week to finish a work unit but it's better than nothing! ShroooomerToo, if you visit this page it has an overview of the Folding@home project and links to more detailed information. If you have any specific questions I'll be glad to answer them.

wow, I just read all I could about protein folding, and I STILL don't get how computers can be used to help! Are you saying there is not a computer on this earth that isn't good enough already to calculate?

Please, I don't mean to be offensive in any way! Probably very annoying, but I don't get it?

--------------------None of the posts that are posted by this user are real. They are all fake and are for fictional use only. This member does not actually smoke or take any illegal substances, he/she just posts for fun.

Well, the simulations they're trying to run are very complex. But the problems can be broken down into many pieces which are small enough to be solved on home computers. With enough home PCs all working together on different pieces of the problem, it's like they have a powerful supercomputer. There are some systems which are too slow to make a useful contribution, but in general any processor with SSE instructions can help (so that's Pentium 3 class or better).

The important thing is that the project could lead to scientific breakthroughs and cures for serious diseases, and there isn't really any downside to running the program. So even if you don't understand all the technical details, I'd still encourage you sign up!

I hope this makes sense though, please let me know if you still have any questions.

I'll be glad to give out a free supporter account each month to the top contributer. How do you find who's earned the most points in the past month though? I guess I could write a script to parse the last 7 months production for each user, it seems like there should be an easier way though.

I'm pretty sure I got this setup right. When I hold my mouse over the icon in the system tray it says: F@H: Working (0/5000)

--------------------m00nshine is currently vacationing in Maui. Rumor has it he got rolled by drunken natives and is currently prostituting himself in order to pay for airfare back to the mainland but he's having trouble juggling a hairon addiction. He won't be back for a long while.

BTW, when are they going to come out with a SMP version? I have a dual core machine but only one can be used at a time with the current implementation.

--------------------Republican Values:

1) You can't get married to your spouse who is the same sex as you.
2) You can't have an abortion no matter how much you don't want a child.
3) You can't have a certain plant in your possession or you'll get locked up with a rapist and a murderer.